If you walk into the fourth-grade wing on a Monday at Lava Ridge Elementary, you’ll notice a student doing some of the teaching. Ten-year-old Mackenzie Hunniecutt spends her lunch recess one day a week teaching some of her fellow students American Sign Language. Mackenzie was born deaf and has been using ASL ever since she […]
Kids In Action
Posted inBend Nest
Inspiring Youth in Local Government
Meet Rebecca McCann, member of the Bend Climate Action Steering Committee
When you think of local government, you don’t often picture high school students being part of the decision-making process. Here in Bend, young adults are showing up and getting involved. Rebecca McCann is one student who decided to be a part of her local government, through the Bend Climate Action Steering Committee. “I saw an […]
Posted inBend Nest
Meet this year’s Clara!
Kyla Wilson will dance the lead role in the Nutcracker
The Nutcracker ballet has been a longtime tradition in Kyla Wilson’s life—the 10-year-old has either watched or danced in it every year since she was three, when her sister, Shayla, started ballet. The dancing bug hit Wilson hard, and now the two of them dance at the Central Oregon School of Ballet. This year, Wilson […]
Posted inBend Nest
All The Right Moves
Local gymnast claims state and regional titles
Being upside down runs in the Ali family. Janae Ali went to college on a gymnastics scholarship, and turns out, the flipping genes got passed down to her kids. Her oldest child, Rohan, who is 10 years old, made it clear from an early age that gymnastics came naturally to him. “At a year and […]
Posted inBend Nest
Editor Makes Headlines
Summit senior adds to newspaper’s storied history
This journalism thing seems to run in the family. It’s no surprise that Natalie Burdsall credits big brother Colin for her decision to join Summit High School’s student paper. After all, he spent three years at The Pinnacle as an award-winning writer and sports editor. “It’s something my brother encouraged me to do,” says Burdsall. […]
Posted inBend Nest
Pure Gold
Meet freshman artist Miina McCown
Miina McCown has always loved to draw. This Bend High freshman’s talent was recently recognized with one Silver and three Gold Keys from the 2018 Central Oregon Scholastic Art Awards. Not bad for a 14-year-old whose schedule is too busy for art classes. I met up with Miina at COCC’s Pinckney Gallery, where the almost […]
Posted inBend Nest
Maestro in the Making
Teen musician hitting high notes despite challenges
Dyslexia never quite figured out how to slow down Mateo Garza. Not only does this Redmond Proficiency Academy junior maintain an eye-popping 4.2 GPA—which includes AP classes—he’s also an impressive 17-year-old violinist with both High Desert Chamber Music and the Central Oregon Symphony. Tutoring helped his academic progress, but when it came to music, his learning disorder […]
Posted inBend Nest
The Waterboy
Bend middle schooler’s African roots inspire him to bring clean water to communities in need
Ben Yundt’s earliest childhood memories won’t fade easily. Now a seventh-grader at Bend’s Pacific Crest Middle School, Ben vividly recalls his days growing up at an orphanage in the West African city of Accra in Ghana. Before his time there, he lived on the streets of Accra. Not surprisingly, Ben’s childhood lacked life’s basic necessities—including […]